“Dario is a racing legend and a terrific ambassador for the sport,” said Level 5 Motorsports principal and driver Scott Tucker.  “It’s a shame that we won’t see him behind the wheel anymore, but, as a friend, I’m proud of him for making this tough decision.  I know that he’s made the right choice for his health and he leaves a fantastic racing legacy.”

Franchitti was part of the Level 5 Motorsports squad at Road Atlanta in 2012 for Petit Le Mans in the American Le Mans Series and was a frequent guest in the team’s paddock as he supported his brother and fellow Level 5 driver Marino.  Marino was a key factor in the team’s 2013 ALMS P2 championship effort.

“Having Dario in the lineup for Petit last year was a thrill,” said team manager David Stone.  “He is a true champion, the embodiment of humility.  I know that Dario will be around racing for a long time to come, in some capacity, and he will continue to be a great figure in the sport.”

Franchitti is part of an elite group of all-time IndyCar greats.  In addition to his Indianapolis 500 wins and IndyCar Series championships, he is tied for eighth on the all-time wins list with 31 victories, and sixth in all-time pole positions with 33.

Level 5 Motorsports would like to congratulate Dario Franchitti on an extraordinary career and thank him for his contributions to the racing community and our team.

 Mason Daughters began racing karts in Kansas City when he was 13 years old and won the Liberty Cup in his first year of competition. After two months of experience, Daughters moved on to compete in the Karting Pro Series and was then noticed by Scott Tucker.

 According to Level 5 Motorsports owner Scott Tucker, Mason Daughters is a natural racer, as exhibited by his quick acquisition of karting skills and his easy transition into dirt track racing. Tucker expects that Mason Daughters will win many more victories for the Level 5 Motorsports team and will continue progressing in his skills for many more years.

 The recent first place finish for Mason Daughters took place at the US 36 Raceway in Osborn, Missouri. The No. 55 car driven by Daughters started in sixth position on the grid, after undergoing repairs for damage sustained during the preceding heat race. During the majority of the race, Mason Daughters held fourth place. The young driver gained second place after a caution and restart near the end of the race, and overtook the race leader in the final turn of the course to win the checkered flag.

According to Scott Tucker, sponsorship of young drivers is a successful strategy for Level 5 Motorsports that the team will continue to pursue in order to develop winning drivers to compete in the highest levels of motorsports.

 Level 5 Motorsports has fielded successful entries in GT and Prototype classes in the American Le Mans Series, GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, Ferrari Challenge Series, the Sports Car Club of America, IMSA GT3 Cup and Cooper Tires Prototype Lites since 2008. The team has competed throughout North America and Europe, extensively in Italy, France and Spain. Team owner and driver Scott Tucker has earned nine national championships and has more than 110 podium finishes and 90 victories in his driving career. The team competes in 2013 with sponsorship from Siemens, Alpina Watches, Honda Performance Development, Ohiya Casino Resort, Prairie Casino, Kennol, Selling Source, West Race Cars, Motorsport.com, Battery Tender and AlgOil. Level 5 is based in Madison, Wisconsin.

The changing weather and track conditions demanded tenacious driving and gutsy pit calls. The No. 7 BAR1 Motorsports team did both. Everyone, both crew and drivers, put out 100% all day long… it made a difference.

Always excited to be at Road Atlanta and participating in the Petit Le Mans, Tomy was pleased with the effort and the outcome.

“We had a good car all week. The practice sessions threw both dry and wet conditions our way, but still really didn’t prepare us for what we saw race day. The nearly 10 hour race seemed to contain every variable you could image.

“There were times that a tire change…. going from slicks to rain tires… might have been a nice option. But if you could find a dry line or places you could get heat into your tires, it paid to stay out. Unfortunately, Rusty got caught out and spun early on. So we were playing catch up all day.

“Everyone hung in there though. The crew were spot on for every stop. No one was quitting, that’s for sure. In the end it paid off. Our on track position was fourth, but the non season entry of Star8 wound up placing us in third. It was a hard earn finish.”

For the race, the No. 7 car featured the upcoming movie The Maze Runner as it’s livery for the weekend. The Maze Runner is a story of Thomas (O’Brien) who wakes up trapped in a massive maze with a group of other boys, he has no memory of the outside world other than strange dreams about a mysterious organization known as W.C.K.D. Only by piecing together fragments of his past with clues he discovers in the maze can Thomas hope to uncover his true purpose and a way to escape. Based on the best-selling novel by James Dashner.

“I just want to thank all of our movie sponsors this year,” added Tomy. “We had some great looking cars and I think the fans had a lot of fun seeing the cars out there. We’ve been getting good feedback everywhere we go.”

A fifth place grid position was not an issue as the driver line-up of Ben Keating, Damien Faulkner, and Craig Stanton drove masterfully in the changing weather. Kevin Buckler was able to play the strategy game brilliantly.  Within three hours, the TRG team had the Porsche as one of only three in the class on the lead lap in the GTC class.  From that point and for the remainder of the event, the No. 66 was in a battle with the No. 45 and No. 22 cars for the podium position.

As the race became a 1000-mile affair instead of a 10-hour race, the three lead lap teams had a final pit stop to complete the competition. The No. 66 Porsche made a great final stop.  This was one of many pit stops performed during the enduro, not all of which were scheduled stops, as some were performed to change from wet to dry or vice-versa due to constantly changing weather conditions.  All of these stops were made with trademark TRG efficiency by their “A Team”.  In the sequence of pitting, the No. 66 GTC vehicle would lose its position on track in the pits.  The Porsche would not re-fire and it took more than a lap to solve the issue.  Therefore, it appeared that the victory would be a race between the No. 45 and No. 66.

With less than 15 laps remaining, however, on track. The location of the racecar meant that the team could not to affect repairs. This cost the TRG team and drivers a well-earned podium position in the final race for the ALMS. In the final analysis the culprit was a blown fuse which control the fuel pumps.  It is a part of racing that is never fun, but the TRG team and drivers are proud of the work that everyone contributed. Now it is time to begin work on 2014 for TRG-AMR and for the TRG Porsche clubracing team.

TRG Owner Kevin Buckler on Petit Le Mans:

“I could not have been more proud of my guys across the board. When the race started we had so many curveballs thrown at us and we executed everything perfectly. From rains to slicks and slicks to rains, pitstops, yellow flags, waive-arounds, drivers… Everybody just did a stellar job and we definitely deserved that podium. Unpredictable things happen in racing and I don’t think we’ve ever been stopped by a fuse before but everybody is now already looking onward and upward and we could not be more excited about our new racing future. We have several significant announcements coming up in the next few weeks and we are ready…”

Jan Heylen qualified the #11 JDX Racing – Hertz GTC car fourth in class. Strategy played a major factor early and often as Mike Hedlund took the green flag.  The weather played a huge part in the majority of the race as Mike started the all gold Porsche on Yokohama rain tires – with some of the GTC competition on dry weather slicks –  due to a mostly wet track surface.  Following the start of the 16th annual endurance classic, the race surface began to present a dry racing line and forced Mike to pit within the first 5 laps of the race and make a change to slicks.  Unfortunately this put the JDX / Hertz Porsche one lap down early on, forcing the JDX team to get aggressive with race strategy – and pace – from the very beginning.

Mike Hedlund said, “Petit is a special event, we had a long week of prep for the ten hour enduro, but the weather certainly put us to the test throughout the week and especially for the first half of the race.  I could have tossed a coin on whether we should have started on wets or drys.  Traffic is key at Road Atlanta and I managed to hand over a clean car to Jan at the end of my stint as it started to rain again.  It was a crazy day out there.”

The rain showers continued to roll in and out in a very unpredictable way until the mid portion of the race – and more than once, the JDX team got caught on the wrong side of the weather – or a full course caution.  Due to these swings, at one point the JDX / Hertz Porsche was nearly three laps down to the GTC class leader.  But the team never gave up, with the drivers flat out all the way and the pit crew executing perfectly on each of the dozen or so pit stops throughout the race.

“I really enjoyed this race – the rain certainly added to the excitement.  Aside from managing traffic and squeezing all the performance out of the #11 JDX Racing / Hertz Porsche, I had to continuously monitor the race line as we switched from drys to wets.  Making the right call each time came down to seconds a lap and staying in the hunt.  I have to say the second stint was the best, the car really came in and I was able to track down the leaders in GTC.  A late yellow put us in a position to challenge for the win – and we came up only a few seconds short.”, said Jan Heylen.

The addition of Jon Fogarty for this endurance race was a blessing, as Jon has years of endurance racing experience under his belt.  Jon drove a triple stint and managed to get the JDX Racing entry back into contention by regaining two laps on the field during his time behind the wheel.

Jon Fogarty went on to say, “This #11 car is really fun to drive, the team put together a great package and the pit crew performed flawlessly over the nine plus hours.  We certainly kept them busy as we switched out tires as often as the weather dictated – plus making chassis adjustments to the car as the rain was finally gone for good as we needed every bit of dry weather performance.  These GTC Porsches are physically demanding, and the car took almost everything out of me”

Harrison Brix, JDX Racing co-owner went on to say, “What a week at Petit. It was great having Jon back in the driver line-up, he was just as consistent here as he was for us in Sebring.  We gave the guys a good package for the race and with some help in the weather department, we could have given the class winners a run for it – but in the end we only missed the win by a few seconds. The entire team really shined this weekend – and that was capped off by our Crew Chief, Larry Ellert, being awarded the Battery Tender Mechanic of the Year Award at the end of season awards ceremony on Sunday night.  A fitting way to end our season.  We are all looking forward to the 2014 Tudor Championship and can’t wait to get back on track in Daytona at the end of January.”

The No. 8 Evident Capital Prototype Challenge car has virtually dominated the last three races of the season. After struggling with bad breaks and a DNF at the Baltimore Grand Prix, the team took their inaugural win at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, then again at the Oak Tree Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia. And finally winning the season finale, the prestigious 10-Hour Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in Georgia.

The 2013 Petit Le Mans marks the end of the 15-year run of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron as next year’s championships will be run under the Tudor United SportsCar Championship banner. BAR1 Motorsports team owner, Brian Alder was pleased to see the team end the year capturing second place in both the Team and Driver Championships.

“Winning Petit is such an incredible accomplishment. Add to that, it was our third win in a row. It’s just incredible. It’s the result of a Herculean effort on the part of every member of our team and fantastic performances from our drivers. These victories are truly shared by all.”

“Here at Petit, we had our hands full.  Dealing with the changing weather conditions during the first quarter of the race, our engineers made great strategy calls, always staying step ahead of the weather. The crew conducted flawless pit stops all day long, continuously being the quickest off pit road each and every stop.” Commented Brian Alder, Team Owner

“Chris [Cumming], Stefan [Johanson] and Kyle [Marcelli] did an amazing job and handled the changing track conditions flawlessly.  Kyle set fastest lap of the race and was perfect holding the lead in the final 2 hours of running.”

“Looking back over the season, I can’t say enough about the effort this team has put forth all year long. To win the final 3 races of the season is a huge accomplishment and a great way to end the year. We also finished on the podium a total of eight times this season.  I think we have proved week in and out we are one of the premier teams in the highly competitive Prototype Challenge class.” Said Brian Alder

The new Tudor United SportsCar Championship season will open Jan. 25- 26 at Daytona International Speedway. The 52nd running of the Rolex 24 will be perhaps the most significant sports car race in the history of North America, as the debut event for the new Tudor United SportsCar Championship.

Dirk Müller, Bill Auberlen and John Edwards alternated at the wheel of the number 56 car at Road Atlanta. The second BMW Z4 GTE was driven by Maxime Martin, Jörg Müller and Uwe Alzen.

Both BMW cars reached the top step of the podium once during the ten-race 2013 season. The number 55 BMW Z4 GTE won at Long Beach and the number 56 at Lime Rock Park. The team has also scored five additional podiums, four pole positions, and eight top-five finishes.

The first half of the race was slowed by four caution periods and intermittent rain that put a premium on smart strategy and pit work. The rain abated as the race entered its sixth hour and the track remained dry for the remainder of the race.

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):

“I think we can really be happy with the outcome of the 2013 American Le Mans Series. It was the debut year of our new BMW Z4 GTE – and BMW Team RLL managed to fight for victories from the word go. We were able to keep the title fight open until the very last race. In the end, it was very close and Dirk Müller missed out on his third ALMS GT title by just a few points. We had hoped to be competitive with the new car straight away, and that’s what happened. The race at Road Atlanta also marked the final chapter of the ALMS era. We are now looking forward to a new challenge and the season opener of the United SportsCar Championship at Daytona in January 2014.”

Bobby Rahal (Team Principal BMW Team RLL):

“This was a tough, hard race. But I have to say I’m pretty happy with second and fourth. We’ve really got a deficit on the straights and that’s a killer at Road Atlanta, so to have second is really darn good. It’s a shame we couldn’t win the championship for Dirk, but P2 for him is a good consolation. The first year with the BMW Z4 GTE was far better than the first year with the BMW M3 GT, that’s for sure, and I think if we will be allowed to use a little more power we can make it a truly great and competitive year in 2014.”

Dirk Müller (BMW Z4 GTE – car number 56):

“Hell of a race. I really, truly wanted to win this one. I spent the last two hours trying to catch the Falken car. They were very fast so congrats to them. I really opened everything up and drove at maximum attack. We had a very good second place and everybody knew we couldn’t do more. I’m happy for the team and for BMW; we’re all P2 now in the championships. Not a bad way to end the last year of the ALMS. Thank you to the organisers of the ALMS for an amazing run and for making it possible to see such great racing, and now we look forward to a bright future.”

John Edwards (BMW Z4 GTE – car number 56):

“It was really close. I was nervous at the end watching Dirk – I’m always more nervous when I’m out of the car. Of course we’re happy with second place; it was a good race and anything could happen. You try to stay out of trouble, but I was hit twice by the number 4 Corvette and it felt like we were qualifying for the entire two-plus hours of my stint. I’m a lot more confident now at the end of the year than I was going into Sebring. I’ve gelled with the team and I feel like we can really push together.”

Bill Auberlen (BMW Z4 GTE – car number 56):

“That is as perfect of a race as I’ve ever seen at Petit Le Mans. Everything came together and we squeezed out a P2 finish. I’m a little sad about the end of the ALMS; I’ve done these races from the series’ start to its finish. I’ve won and been beaten here, but the future brings new hope and, as long as I’m sitting in a car with a Roundel on the hood with my guys behind me, that’s all I care about.”

Maxime Martin (BMW Z4 GTE – car number 55):

“I’m a bit disappointed for the team. Thanks to lots of hard work by the crew, we had a good enough race to be there at the end, and I feel we earned a podium finish, so I’m sorry I cannot hand that trophy over to the guys.”

Jörg Müller (BMW Z4 GTE – car number 55):

“At the end, I’m half crying and half laughing. We were so close to holding onto the podium. The car handled fantastically, we always came back from bad spots, and we led the race at least once. On one hand I’m happy we earned points for BMW, but I really wanted us to be on the podium.”

Uwe Alzen (BMW Z4 GTE – car number 55):

“Well I’m a little bit disappointed we couldn’t push harder. We had a small problem with the brake balance, with a little bit too much brake to the rear, so we couldn’t attack like we wanted to, but Maxime and Jörg did a great job and we stayed in the fight as much as possible.”

After starting driver Miller moved up to and raced in sixth place for the majority of his race-opening shift, Holzer took over and promptly drove the No. 48 Chopard/TOTAL Porsche to the front of the GT field in light rain conditions.

Holzer led several laps, and the team’s recent run of bad luck appeared to be changing as he pitted from the lead for the first time this season for a routine stop late in the race’s second hour.

“After the unlucky season that we have had we did a great job today at the beginning of the race,” Holzer said. “We were leading, and also we were on the right strategy with the right tires because it started to rain again. Just after a pit stop I drove down the pit lane and something in the rear end broke.”

Within the span of just a few minutes, the Chopard/TOTAL Porsche went from leading the race to out of it, ending a frustrating American Le Mans Series (ALMS) season for the Paul Miller Racing team.

“I think we had a pretty good race car, we didn’t have the fastest race car today, but we really felt we could contend at the end,” Team Owner Paul Miller said. “We were just trying to drive a good, smooth race and stay out of trouble and gradually worked our way up.  I think we made a couple of pretty good strategy calls to get up to the front, but we just had a very fluky drive flange in the gearbox break.  We could have fixed it but we would be so many laps down there was no way for us to gain any track position from that far back.”

The early Petit retirement was the fourth-straight disappointing race that the No. 48 team endured in the stretch-run to end the season. Bryce Miller and Holzer were uninjured in spectacular accidents at Baltimore and Virginia International Raceway, respectively, while an obscure left-rear suspension issue knocked the team from contention at the Circuit of The Americas race in Texas.

“It has been a real difficult season of ups and downs like this,” Bryce Miller said.  “All year we have showed preparation, good pace in our pit stops and good pace in the car, but none of it ever seemed to all string together for us at the same time. It’s just awfully frustrating but a very character building experience.”

Emmanuel Collard, who debuted with the Paul Miller Racing team in the 2011 Petit, returned for this year’s race, but the fast Frenchman never had a chance to drive on Saturday.

“It has been a really unlucky season but we all of the time did our best,” Holzer said. “Thanks to the guys for fixing the car after Baltimore and VIR, it was very hard for them many times.”

Ironically, the No. 48 Chopard/TOTAL Porsche team’s best result of the year came just before the frustrating four-race stretch that closed out the year.  Bryce Miller and Holzer drove to a fourth-place finish at Road America in August and it looked like a similarly strong result was possible on Saturday.

“I was on my feet, eating lunch, standing in front of the television watching our car lead the race,” Bryce Miller said. “The commentators mentioned all of the bad luck we have had this year, and how this was a really great moment of redemption for us, and literally moments later it was taken away.

“I just have enormous respect for the team and all of the hard work they have given us, especially in the latter half of this season. They had to rebuild the car twice over again and kept us running in the championship and accumulating points. Every one put their best foot forward, nobody gave up, and we really tried our very best to make it happen.  It just wasn’t the right time for us this year I suppose.”

The No. 8 Evident Capital Prototype Challenge car has virtually dominated the last three races of the season. After struggling with bad breaks and a DNF at the Baltimore Grand Prix, the team took their inaugural win at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, then again at the Oak Tree Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia. And finally winning the season finale, the prestigious Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in Georgia.

To add to the team’s accomplishment, the No. 7 PetroComm Prototype Challenge climbed the podium in two consecutive races with a third place finish in Virginia and another third at Road Atlanta.

The 2013 Petit Le Mans marks the end of the 15 year run of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron as next year’s championships will be run under the Tudor United SportsCar Challenge banner. BAR1 Motorsports team owner, Brian Alder was pleased to see the team end the year capturing second place in both the Team and Driver Championships.

“Winning Petit is such an incredible accomplishment. Add to that, it was our third win in a row and our 2nd race in a row to have both our cars on the podium. It just incredible. It’s the result of an Herculean effort on the part of every member of our team and fantastic performances from our drivers. These victories are truly shared by all.

Here at Petit, we had our hands full. Dealing with the changing weather conditions during the first quarter of the race, our engineers made great strategy calls, always staying step ahead of the weather. The crew conducted flawless pit stops all day long, continuously being the quickest off pit road each and every stop.  

“Chris [Cumming], Stefan [Johanson] and Kyle [Marcelli] did an amazing job and handled the changing track conditions flawlessly.  Kyle set fastest lap of the race and was perfect holding the lead in the final 2 hours of running.

“In the No. 7 car, Tomy [Drissi], Rusty [Mitchell] and James [French] finished a solid 3rd place. Rusty got caught out in the rain on slick tires and made contact with the wall putting us down several laps, but everyone kept their head up, repaired the car and continued to push themselves, resulting in their 2nd straight podium finish.

“Looking back over the season, I can’t say enough about the effort this team has put forth all year long. To win the final 3 races of the season is a huge accomplishment and a great way to end the year. We also finished on the podium a total of eight times this season.  I think we have proved week in and out we are one of the premier  teams in the highly competitive Prototype Challenge class.”

The new Tudor United SportsCar Challenge Series season will open Jan. 25- 26 at Daytona International Speedway. The 52nd running of the Rolex 24 will be perhaps the most significant sports car race in the history of North America, as the debut event for the new Tudor United SportsCar championship.

In LMP1, season champion Muscle Milk Pickett Racing dominated the opening hours of the 1,000-mile endurance race – the second-longest of the American Le Mans Series season – but the driving trio of Romain Dumas, Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr encountered overheating issues aboard its HPD ARX-03c Honda as the race neared its midpoint, and was forced to retire. It was the only “Did Not Finish” of the season for the Muscle Milk team, in a year that was highlighted by a series-record eight consecutive overall and LMP1 victories. That streak ensured a second-consecutive American Le Mans Series constructors’ championship for HPD, engine championship for Honda, team championship for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing and drivers’ championship for team regulars Graf and Luhr.

After an early-lap battle with the Rebellion Racing Lola-Toyota of Nick Heidfeld, Neel Jani, and Nicolas Prost on a damp track, the Muscle Milk trio established a solid lead in the second hour of the race under constantly changing track conditions, and had opened up an advantage of nearly two laps when overheating issues struck the HPD-Honda. Rebellion then went on win overall and LMP1.

In LMP2, the second Level 5 entry of Guy Cosmo, Peter Dumbreck and Jonny Kane battled the Extreme Speed Honda trio of David Brabham, Anthony Lazzaro and Scott Sharp in the opening hours, with both efforts taking turns at the front. Meanwhile, the second Level 5 HPD ARX-03b Honda of Briscoe, Franchitti and Tucker ran a consistent third, remaining on the lead lap and then making a surge to the front in the final two hours. As the Cosmo/Dumbreck/Kane HPD faded to third, teammates Briscoe, Franchitti and Tucker battled the Brabham/Lazzaro/Sharp trio for the class win, which also would help determine the drivers’ championship between Level 5 owner/driver Tucker and Extreme Speed team principal Sharp.

With less than an hour remaining, Level 5 pulled out a narrow advantage in the final round of pit stops, taking fuel only, to hold off Extreme Speed by just 1.394 seconds at the checkers. As a result, Tucker claimed his third consecutive LMP2 drivers’ title, with teammate Franchitti second and Sharp third. It also marked the third consecutive American Le Mans Series LMP2 manufacturers’ championship for HPD, and engine championship for Honda.

The 2013 Petit Le Mans endurance race at Road Atlanta was the final American Le Mans Series event, as the series merges with Grand-Am in 2014 to form the Tudor United Sports Car Championship. The new series debuts January 25 with the 24 Hours of Daytona, at Daytona International Speedway in Florida.

Lucas Luhr (#6 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing HPD ARX-03c Honda) LMP1 champion for second consecutive year with co-driver Klaus Graf; scored an ALMS series record eight consecutive wins for Muscle Milk Pickett Racing and Honda in 2013: “There were 10 races in this championship. We won eight, and that is very outstanding for everybody involved with Muscle Milk Pickett Racing. It’s a shame that our season ended like this. But in racing, sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. Everyone can be very proud of what we have achieved these last few years, and I think we need to end the season with that thought.”

Scott Tucker (#551 Level 5 Motorsports HPD ARX-03b Honda) 1st in LMP2 and 2nd overall with codrivers Ryan Briscoe and Marino Franchitti; wins the LMP2 drivers’ championship for the third consecutive year with Honda power: “All of the races this year have been hard. Extreme Speed Motorsports gave us really tough competition throughout the season and it could have gone either way. Today it came down to the last race, and we had to win. Fortunately, it all worked out.”

Allen Miller (Honda Performance Development Large Project Leader, Sports Car Racing) on Saturday’s season-ending Petit Le Mans: “Congratulations to Level 5 Motorsports for its third consecutive LMP2 championship, and to season-long rival Extreme Speed Motorsports for an outstanding effort in its first season of sports-prototype competition. The battle between these two HPD-equipped teams made for an exciting LMP2 battle right from the opening around at Sebring. In LMP1, it’s a shame that Muscle Milk Pickett racing ended its championship -winning season on a ‘down’ note, with their only retirement of the season, but the team can be extremely proud of scoring eight consecutive victories this year and its second championship in partnership with HPD. All of the associates at HPD can be proud of their efforts and the results they produced in sports car racing in 2013; a combined total of 18 wins in LMP1 and LMP2 is a new record for Honda. But we’re already looking forward to next season, with the new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship providing increased prototype competition for Honda and HPD.”

The No. 25 ORECA FLM09 of Ozz Negri and Sean Rayhall, both newcomers to the competitive prototype class as well, drove a trouble-free race throughout the 1,000-mile marathon Saturday at Road Atlanta, which saw the Enzo Potolicchio-owned organization nearly pull off a stunning victory in one of North America’s most prestigious endurance races.

Showing the pace and consistency that’s needed to win races and titles, both sports car racing veteran Negri and Rayhall, the newly crowned Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda Champion, never put a wheel wrong, while the Mark Scott and Brian Colangelo-led crew also having flawless pit stops over the course of the ALMS finale.

Eighteen year-old Rayhall had the honors of taking the car to the checkered flag, less than 12 seconds behind the class-winning No. 8 BAR1 car. What’s more, the 8Star entry finished an impressive sixth overall, showcasing the strength and reliability of the PC platform, which carries over to the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship next year.

“I can’t thank 8Star Motorsports enough,” said Rayhall. “That was a phenomenal car. Coming in for the first race and to get a podium right off the bat, at the Petit Le Mans of all races, that really just goes to show you how great the team and Ozz Negri are. I’m happy to be a part of the team as well and bring home a good podium and second place finish. I wish Enzo could have been here to celebrate with us.”

Team principal Potolicchio, who founded the Florida-based team less than 12 months ago, helped lead 8Star to a fourth place finish in Sunday’s rain-interrupted 6 Hours of Fuji FIA World Endurance Championship event in Japan. 8Star also battled challenging weather conditions in the Petit Le Mans race, which started on a semi-wet track and saw Negri take overall lead in the first hour.

With intermittent showers not subsiding until the afternoon, the 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona champion and veteran GRAND-AM Daytona Prototype driver drove a brilliant stint on dry weather Continental tires, which helped the team open up a one-lap lead.

“That stint in the wet with slicks on, I think it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Negri said. “The 40 laps felt like 3 days. I’m glad I led the Petit Le Mans overall with Continental tires. I have to thank 8Star Motorsports and Enzo for the opportunity. The guys put this deal together just one week ago. I had a lot of fun. We were competing with guys that had run the whole season and we had less than a week to prepare. I think that shows the strength of the 8Star team. The hard work pays off.”

With plans to expand into PC full-time in next year’s TUDOR Championship, 8Star has positioned itself as the leading option for drivers wanting to compete in one of the top levels of North American sports car racing.

“It was a great debut race for us,” said PC team manager Mark Scott. “We were able to keep a fairly reasonable gap and were on the same fuel strategy as the No. 8 car. Sean was giving it everything the car had at the end. Overall we’re very pleased. It was a great team effort. We wanted to win it but you don’t get to win them all. Both drivers did very well and the crew performed well. We had no penalties. Everyone worked as hard as they could.”

Tucker rewrote the record books yet again with his 99th career victory and 10th national driving championship, after only making his professional racing debut less than eight years ago. Having claimed 26 ALMS wins in only 38 starts, the Kansas City native ends his ALMS career with a remarkable 68 percent win record. What’s more, Tucker stands 12th on the all-time win list, in the midst of some of the world’s greatest sports car drivers, while also being tied for third in the all-time ALMS driver’s championships.

“This year was a long road,” said Tucker, who claimed his fourth consecutive Petit Le Mans victory to go with his four-peat at Sebring. “We had a pretty good plan going in. The Level 5 guys did a great job. My co-drivers this year, Ryan and Marino, these are the best guys I’ve had with me. I’m really proud to have them. The team did a great job. The ESM guys were good, strong competitors this year and we were fortunate to be able to race against them. Overall, I’m just really happy for the result we achieved. We put the work in for it so I feel like we deserve it.”

Level 5’s No. 551 Siemens/Alpina Watches/Ohiya Casino Resort-sponsored Honda Performance Development ARX-03b prototype bounced back from a challenging first half of the race, which was mixed with changing weather conditions, to take the fight to the No. 01 ESM car. An impressive closing stint by Briscoe, and a quicker final fuel-only pit stop for the David Stone-led organization, got the IndyCar star out ahead of rival David Brabham.

From there, Briscoe managed to expand his margin, taking the checkered flag for his 5th win of the season and the team’s 9th in 10 races. It capped off a remarkable season that also saw Level 5 become one of the most successful organizations in ALMS history with four consecutive team’s titles, matching the likes of Audi Sport and Alex Job Racing in the record books.

“It was a really tough race for us today,” Briscoe said. “It was definitely an uphill battle. I wasn’t sure if we were able to get back on the lead lap. But one thing was for sure: Nobody on the team was going to give up. It was definitely one of those deals today where we kept on fighting. We double stinted soft tires in the middle of the day and ran really fast lap times.

“I got back in the car late and had a really good battle with Brabs,” Briscoe continued. “We got him on the last pit stop with the splash and dash. They had a little miscue in pit lane and once again our Level 5 guys just executed absolutely 100 percent, no mistakes at all. Hats off to the entire team for that. We had the speed to hold him off. I couldn’t believe it when we were leading the thing and taking the win. Great effort by everybody and great job by Scott on the championship. He puts in a huge effort and it’s great to see.”

Franchitti notched his fifth class victory of the season. With the win, the Scot becomes a three-time Petit Le Mans champion, with previous wins in 2010 and 2011, along with a runner-up finish with Level 5 last year.

“I’m obviously delighted we got Scott the championship,” he said. “That was the goal from the start of the year. It was a great battle with ESM. I think Brabs really came in and put his foot down in that team. I’m just really proud of the guys to come back from where we were.

“I thought it was going to be like the last two years where we were really strong and things were conspiring against us to get the victory,” Franchitti continued. “I’m delighted to win again at Petit Le Mans. I’m delighted for Scott to get the championship. To bookend the year with Sebring and Petit with Ryan was really special.”

Despite a wet track, the #12 Lola-Toyota driven by Neel Jani and the #6 HPD-Honda driven by Lucas Luhr quickly escaped from the field as the race was launched to start the battle everyone was expecting. On lap 30 Neel Jani was leading the race with a 12.5 seconds gap over Lucas Luhr. Ten laps later Neel’s advantage had increased to 26.3 seconds. On lap 43, Neel crashed with an LMPC car in turn one. Despite big damage on the #12 car and a stop and go penalty, the #12 Lola-Toyota was back in the race just two laps down to the #6 HPD-Honda. With strong driving from Neel, Nicolas and Nick in changing and challenging track conditions and supported by smart strategy calls from the team, the REBELLION Racing car was back on the lead lap by mid-race.

But all hopes for a great battle until the checkered flag were over when, after 200 laps, the #6 HPD-Honda was forced to stop in the pits then to officially retire shortly after due an irreparable overheating problem.

From that stage, the REBELLION Racing drivers and team opted for a safe strategy until the finish line. After 9 hours and 37 minutes of racing and 394 laps completed, the #12 Lola-Toyota entered the records books as the last-ever overall winning car in the American Le Mans Series driven by Neel Jani, Nick Heidfeld and Nicolas Prost.

Neel Jani : “I was very lucky with the crash as I didn’t see the car I hit. The car was in my blind spot. My teammates did a great job to catch up with the HPD-Honda. When I took the wheel back later in the race it was much easier. It’s a nice feeling to win a second time the Petit Le Mans.”

Nick Heidfeld : “Before coming here everybody told me that Road Atlanta is a great track and Petit Le Mans a big event. Even if it is not the oldest one on the calendar, Petit Le Mans has a fantastic reputation, a race you want to win. This win ranks quite highly for me. On top of that, it was the last ALMS race that makes it more special.“

Nicolas Prost : “I pushed as hard as I could in drizzling conditions and took some risks in traffic. We got back in the fight. Winning here again is a great feeling, it was one of my main objectives this year. It’s great for REBELLION. I am happy to share this win with Neel as it was his last race with the team.”

Bart Hayden, REBELLION Racing Team Manager : “We gave ourselves a little bit of trouble to make life more difficult when we had the crash early on. To come back from that, to drive well, to put pressure on the opposition and to win a second time is a tremendous feeling. It was the objective, the only reason we came here. It is well deserved by the drivers and the team. I hope our team mates in Japan, at the race in Fuji, will have some of the fortune we had today.  We’ve loved our races in the American Le Mans Series, it’s been a well organised and well run operation, I wish all the people here that go forward into the new United SportsCar Championship much success and we’ll be watching how they get on.”

Chevrolet and Corvette Racing clinched the GT manufacturers’ and team championships in the previous ALMS round at Virginia International Raceway two weeks ago. Garcia and Magnussen made it nine drivers’ titles for the manufacturer and team since 2001. The results were fitting ones in the final year of the C6.R in the hands of Corvette Racing.

“Congratulations to Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and the No. 3 Corvette C6.R team on clinching the American Le Mans Series GT driver’s championship,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Antonio, Jan and the team raced incredible competition in the GT class and persevered. Preparation, teamwork, efficient pit stops – along with a Chevrolet Powertrain that delivered the right combination of power, fuel efficiency and reliability – were key components of the team’s success. It was a total team effort for Chevrolet to win the GT manufacturers’ championship, Corvette Racing to win the GT team championship, and Antonio and Jan to win GT the drivers’ championship in the final season of the American Le Mans Series.”

Garcia and Magnussen led all drivers in the ALMS’ GT class with three victories – Laguna Seca, Baltimore and Circuit of The Americas. They also finished on the class podium six times in 10 races, despite finishing with zero points at Sebring to start the year.

Saturday’s race was not without its dramas for the new champions. Taylor was running second in the race’s sixth hour when he ran over an oil slick and spun the No. 3 out of control. The car ran fifth for most of the final two hours before safety falling back to its eventual finishing position.

“Antonio and Jan are very deserving champions of the ALMS’ GT class,” said Mark Kent, Chevrolet’s Director of Racing. “Their performance, along with that of the team’s crew members and engineers, set the standard in what arguably is the toughest class of sports car racing in North America. Congratulations to Antonio and Jan, everyone at Pratt & Miller and GM Racing Powertrain for a phenomenal end of the season and final race for the Corvette C6.R.”

The No. 4 Compuware Corvette of Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook ran in 10^th place and six laps down after two lengthy stops to replace a pair of alternator belts. Gavin had moved from seventh to second in the first two laps before the telemetry showed the alternator was not charging the battery at the 30-minute mark. Gavin brought the car in for fuel, tires and driver change to Milner along with a belt replacement. That belt proved faulty, and Milner pitted again on the next lap for another replacement. This time, the belt functioned properly and the car continued with the battery fully charging.

Corvette Racing will open the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with the Corvette C7.R race car at the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 25-26.

 ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“For sure this is a great day for us. We had a fantastic season. There is no way we could think about this after no points at Sebring. The Corvette Racing team just kept digging. We went from zero wins last year to three wins this year. It was a very competitive year, and congratulations to all our competitors who raced against us. They were all very good teams. So I am very happy for my first ALMS title. Now we are looking forward to the next era for Corvette Racing.

“It’s a really hard to celebrate anything. I lost a very close friend last week – Maria De Villota – and then Sean Edwards this week. Even when I went by the checkered flag, I didn’t feel like I could celebrate and be happy. I was more thinking about them.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“This is an incredible championship. I could not believe Antonio and I would walk away with this after how the season started for us. We both have to say thank you to the entire Corvette Racing team for their hard work and great pit stops all year. For sure we would have liked to win the race but I will trade that for a championship any day.

“It is a fantastic day. My son Kevin won the World Series by Renault this morning, so that was a good way to start the day. It was nice that he got it over with so I could concentrate on my own championship! I can’t even begin to describe how proud I am of him. I wish I could have been celebrating with him but it’s great we can have a chance to win a big championship on the same day. We will celebrate when we get home.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“Congratulations to Jan and Antonio on a terrific season. The guys really gave it everything they had, and they deserve this championship. The second half of the race didn’t go as smooth as we would have liked. The spin on a fluid leak from another car set us back. But at the end of the day, I’m glad to have helped the team win this championship. Topping this off with the Rolex DP championship makes this an incredible end to the season.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“These last few races have been extremely difficult and tough for us. But today is all about the No. 3 car. Antonio and Jan deserve this championship thoroughly. They bounced back from a heart-breaking Sebring. But since then they have driven brilliantly. They had great strategy and pit stops. They executed every weekend and scored points every time they were allowed to. A full, hearty congratulations to them.

“For Tommy and I, the 2013 season can’t come to an end soon enough. It seemed like every which way we turned, things were not going right for us. Our luck just ran out. I’m just now focused on 2014 with the new car and hitting the ground running at Daytona. We had two really big highlights – winning at Sebring and Canada was fantastic. But the rest of it has been under par to say the least.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“At the end of the day, we obviously would have loved to finish better. But Antonio and Jan got their championship, which is fantastic. We’re team champions and manufacturer champions just like last year. It’s a great send-off for the C6.R and we’re looking forward to the C7.R now. It was a rough day for us –that was our season in a nutshell. There were just little problems that sometimes can be easily fixed and solved. But this year, every little thing cost us a lot of time. All in all, and looking back on the season it was a great one again. The car was fantastic and it’s always a pleasure working with the guys at Corvette Racing. I’m looking forward to a lot more years.”

RICHARD WESTBROOK, NO. 4 COMPUWARE CORVETTE C6.R

“I’m absolutely for Antonio, Jan and Jordan. They’re part of the Corvette Racing team, but they’re also mates. It’s great to see your mates celebrate like that. From our point of view, we can’t wait to get going on next year. Sebring seems like a long time ago. It was our high of the year. You can’t have good years every year. It will make us stronger and tougher. All of us will work harder over the winter. Today again, we proved we had a great car but Lady Luck was against us.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER

“Today was probably the most important sixth-place finish in Corvette Racing history. As we closed out the 15th season of the American Le Mans Series – a historic run – Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia clinched the GT drivers’ championship. It gives Chevrolet and Corvette Racing a second consecutive sweep of all three ALMS championships. Jan and Antonio’s climb back from scoring zero points at Sebring is emblematic of the never give up fighting spirit at Corvette Racing. I couldn’t be more proud of Jan, Antonio, Jordan Taylor and the entire crew and engineering group on the No. 3 Corvette. As satisfying as this is, we are excited and looking forward to the start of a new era in Corvette Racing – the first race of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship at Daytona in January.”

Spencer talked about the No 45′s race, saying “It was a terrific end to a long season of ups and downs. The race started out in tricky conditions weather-wise. On and off drizzle kept us guessing on tire choice during the first 4 hours, but Nelson and Madison both rose to the challenge. Nelson opened up a healthy lead in his first stint in drying conditions and held that lead until an untimely yellow came out just as we were about to pit. This forced us to come in for a splash of fuel under a closed pits, and the rules require that you come back in after the GT pit opening, so we ended up at the end of the GTC lead lap pack. Madison made up for some of the lost positions and then Nelson again charged to the front, leading Damien Faulkner in the No 66 with 4 hours to go. When Madison got back in for his final stint the 66 car had just re-taken the lead and Madison went to work. He passed the 66 for the lead and then held off a hard charging Jeroen Bleekemolen for his entire stint. When I got in for my final stint I was hoping for an easy cruise to the finish in the lead that Nelson and Madison had given me but that would not be the case. A late yellow put Andy Lally and Jan Heylen back on the lead lap. In the closing laps Andy made a late charge but our 45 car was strong enough to hold him off for the win. Finishing the year with a win in the final ALMS race feels great.”

Nelson added, “Winning Petit Le Mans is really special, and we showed in this race how strong the team can be when Lady Luck is on our side. We had the best car out there today and I had such great teammates and co-drivers. I enjoyed all of the battles I had during my stints, with such great professional drivers like Damien. Madison and Spencer did an awesome job and made no mistakes, the crew guys did a perfect job getting the car race ready and in the pits, along with Thomas Blam’s work on engineering and strategy. To close out the team championship, 2nd in drivers points, and rookie of the year in the last season of the American Le Mans Series is so special.”

Flying Lizard will announce its 2014 program in the coming weeks, and return to the track in mid-November for the Sebring and Daytona tests with the new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

A good result was important to the DeltaWing team: not only is this the home race for the Braselton-based organization, but the race and the series were both created by DeltaWing Managing Partner Dr.  Don Panoz. A podium finish for the team was a fitting end to the season.

The weather could not make up its mind today, raining on and off through the first half of the 10 hour/1,000 mile endurance classic and making strategy difficult from the very beginning. Realizing the track was drying quickly, the team made the decision to switch to slick Bridgestone tires while the car was still on the grid. Katherine Legge started the race and stayed on track while other prototypes pitted to change from rain tires to slicks. Able to pass cars and take advantage of those early pit stops, Legge ran as high as second overall early in the race. After a quick repair for a steering column issue, Andy Meyrick took over driving duties, managing not only the constantly changing conditions, but the different speeds of the cars around him. Like Legge, Meyrick was able to double stint, staying in the car through two pits stops and only needing one new set of Bridgestone tires per driving segment.

Legge went back into the car for the late afternoon stint, ticking off the laps and keeping the DeltaWing coupe rolling. The car had completed 209 laps when a gearbox failure ended the day. But both drivers were happy with the performance of the car and proud of the entire team effort.

“The team made a fantastic call to start the race on slick tires,” said Legge, “and the car felt very good in the drying conditions. We’ve made leaps and strides forward in our development and we’ve proved that we can be competitive in the changing conditions. We’ve also proved that this can be a viable car next year if we continue its development. The crew did a great job today; we had really good pit stops. The car was very consistent and we were able to double stint on the Bridgestone tires.
 
“And in the end, it’s great to be on the podium for the final ALMS Petit Le Mans. It’s only fitting that one of Dr. P’s cars finishes on the podium.”

 “It was a difficult stint,” said Meyrick, “because it was never completely dry but not wet enough for rain tires, so we had to be careful on the slick tires. But the car was good in those conditions and I was able to put some good laps down. The car was running perfectly so I just had to keep it clean. There were so many different speeds out there – different cars running at different speeds, but also cars on slick tires versus rain tires running different speeds. In the end, it really was a fantastic effort by the entire crew today.”

Jeroen Bleekemolen (R) and Cooper MacNeil Celebrate GTC Championship MacNeil (Hinsdale, Ill.) and teammate Jeroen Bleekemolen (Monte Carlo) were joined by brother Sebastian Bleekemolen (Netherlands) to try and defend their GTC championship from last year. The trio were able to combine their efforts to finish a hard fought fourth place in GTC at Petit Le Mans and hoisted the championship trophy for the second year in a row.

MacNeil had the wheel of the No. 22 WeatherTech Porsche for the start of the 1,000-mile race. The University of Colorado at Boulder junior put in a strong stint keeping the car intact and amongst the front runners in the GTC field. Handing to Jeroen Bleekemolen who battled the changing weather conditions with the team swapping to Yokohama rains and back to slicks, this caused the WeatherTech Porsche to go down a lap. Fighting his way back the elder Bleekemolen got the lap back and then transferred the car over to brother Sebastian. Sebastian had the worst weather of the race, turning in very fast laps in the rain and then switching early to slicks he was able to drive the black-and-white Porsche back to the lead on lap 145. As the field shuffled and MacNeil got back in for a good two hour stint, he turned the car back to Jeroen who raced it back into the lead on lap 307. Soon after a mis-timed caution flag moved the No. 45 Flying Lizard car to the lead with the WeatherTech Racing team running second. On the final stop of the race, the Porsche would not restart, due to a battery issue, putting the team down to fifth. An eventual retirement of the second place runner put the team in fourth earning enough points to win the GTC driver’s championship.

“Two years in a row,” MacNeil said. “It is too bad we couldn’t finish and clinch the championship with a win, but taking the big trophy was the goal. The car was great all day in the changing conditions. Two championships in a row. That was the goal from the beginning of the season. We had some ups and downs this year, but we never forgot the goal of taking the championship. Jeroen did a great job all year and the Alex Job guys gave us a great car.”

Jeroen Bleekemolen would have liked to cap the season with a win, but will take the championship.

“We wanted to finish off the season and the championship the right way by winning the race, but we will take the championship for sure,” Jeroen Bleekemolen said. “The championship is the bigger picture and that was our goal at the beginning of the season. We won Sebring and Mosport, took pole positions at Long Beach, Laguna Seca, Mosport and Baltimore, so that is a successful year. Cooper did a great job all season. The team gave us a good car and the support from WeatherTech got us to the championship.”

Sebastian Bleekemolen played a key role today.

“When I got in the car it was dry and then really started to rain,” Sebastian Bleekemolen said. “We then decided to put slicks on, maybe a little early, but it was what I needed to catch back up and bring the car back in first place. We were quite unlucky in the end, but Jeroen and Cooper are champions and that is what we came to do today.”

Alex Job, team owner, adds another championship to the team total of five (GTC 2013, 2012 and GT in 2004, 2003 and 2002).

“It was a tough day,” Job said. “The race was indicative of the competition in the GTC class all year. We would lead, fall back down and then work our way back-up. The team is a little disappointed that we could not win the final ALMS Petit Le Mans, but we will take the last championship win in the GTC class of the ALMS era.”

The new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship will take to the track for the first event the Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona, Jan. 25-26, 2014.

After the team’s 2012 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR was totaled in a six car pileup in Baltimore, the team was forced to utilize the formally raced 2010 Porsche, which was being used as a show car in the shop of Team Manager Derrick Walker. The team worked tirelessly to get the car prepared and race ready in time for the following race at Circuit of the Americas, and again at Virginia International Raceway.

After several days of testing and successful days of practice in the rain, the team qualified the 17 Porsche in sixth, just 0.5 seconds off of the pole position. Falken Tire drivers Wolf Henzler, Bryan Sellers were joined by Nick Tandy at Petit Le Mans for the endurance event. The three shared the car for the week, each testing different compounds and various set ups, preparing for the final event.

Rainy skies hampered morning warm up on race day, leaving the track wet for the race start. Last minute, Falken Tire decided to stay on wet tires while most GT teams stayed on slicks. The track dried after the first several laps, forcing the 17 Porsche to pit early and lose a lap off the leaders. The first several stints of the track brought wet and dry conditions, forcing each team to alternate tires frequently.

The conditions played to the team’s advantage, using the superior Falken wet tire compound to gain an on track advantage, and take the lead at the halfway point. The second stint for each driver showed a hard charge effort to maintain the lead position, battling traffic and holding off GT Factory backed teams. Falken Tire led 128 laps of the 375 race, making expert strategy calls and twelve perfectly executed pit stops.

The final two hours of the race, the Porsche went head to head with pressure from the 56 Factory BMW, but held on to take the team’s fourth win in the final American Le Mans Series race before merging with GRAND-AM Road Racing.

“To go out in the last ALMS race on top was a great victory for Falken Tire,” said Team Manager Derrick Walker. “They worked so hard to get this victory. We had to go to the old car after Baltimore. The teamwork was flawless and the drivers drive a hell of a race. You couldn’t ask for anything better.”

“It’s an unbelievable day,” said Falken driver Bryan Sellers. “I even believe we’re in the position we’re in. We ran strong, our guys did a fantastic job, we stayed out of trouble and it worked in our favor. I’m so happy. It’s our last race as an ALMS race series and to win here in a long race is breathtaking.”

“It’s unbelievable,” said Wolf Henzler. “The whole week, the test sessions went well for us, the beginning of the race was not so good. We dropped a lap down. We started the race on wet tires, but we just wanted to be safe, while the others went out on slicks. We fought back to get on the lead lap and we took the lead! It unbelievable, running this car. The car that won Petit Le Mans today was a show car!”

“Words don’t describe it,” echoed Nick Tandy. “The last ten lap run was unbelievable. It’s been such a great week. We had no issues, and to come here and win the last race, for me, in memory of my mate Sean Edwards. It’s just a great weekend end. I’m so happy for all the crew, all the team and Porsche.”
 
The race winning Porsche will be on display next month November 5-8, at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The 2010 Porsche RSR will remain untouched and displayed in her race-worn condition. The car will also be sporting a fan designed livery, created in a worldwide contest in conjunction with Microsoft and Forza 4 Motorsport.

The race, which ran to the 1,000 mile distance (9 hours 37 minutes) featured all the excitement expected from the world-famous sports car race which is well-known for its close action. The final American Le Mans Series race before the series merges with Grand Am and becomes the Tudor United Sportscar Championship, and 16^th annual Petit Le Mans, did not disappoint as highlights included variable weather, numerous lead changes and nine cautions with a constant variation of leaders throughout.

The Risi Competizione team showed why its name is in the history books on so many occasions as it once again proved itself to be as good as the factory GT efforts in one of the best sportscar series in the world, the American Le Mans Series.

Malucelli started from the GT class pole and drove the first stint. Early contact with one of the Corvettes forced a pit stop to remove damaged right rear bodywork. Numerous stops for different tire variations during changing weather conditions accounted for many of the pit stops, along with fuel and the scheduled driver rotations.

The only other incident of note was when Beretta went off while leading at nearly eight hours. In addition to the time lost off-track, the team also had to pit for a replacement wing mirror. Although the time lost relegated the Risi Ferrari to fourth place, Matteo’s late race speed brought the team to the podium in the last laps, its seventh Petit Le Mans podium in ten Petit Le Mans entries since 1999.

Giuseppe Risi, Team Principal: “I’m elated about being back on the podium at Petit, particularly when it didn’t look like it was going to happen at one time. First and foremost I really have to thank the team and the drivers; they did a stupendous job. This team is one of the very best crew of mechanics and technicians around – the car didn’t miss a beat. The drivers said the car was amazing so they were extremely happy and we never put a wheel wrong with our pit stops or anything else.

“That was one quick car today. It’s a shame to see Petit Le Mans end as we know it, but I’m sure there’s something else that will replace it in the same theme of competition. Hopefully, if everything lines up, I’ll be back next year.”

Dave Sims, Team Manager:  “Obviously the weather at the start was wet, dry, wet, dry. The strategy was good by Rick [Mayer] and Don [Shaver] and kept us right in there, plus the crew who did a fabulous job. Halfway through we were right in with a chance. Three-quarters through the race though Olivier had that off and took the mirror off, and it took a little time for him to get off the grass and back on the track. We had to come in, as the rules say, to replace the mirror, so we did a full service and changed the drivers at the same time. We put Matteo in for the rest of the race, back in fifth after that stop, and got up to third. If he had another few laps, it might have been different.

Matteo Malucelli: “We did a good job. We lost one lap with the safety car and we were fighting for the victory. I tried to do my best. We were able to do a podium but not a victory today. The team had good pits stops and ran a good race but not enough for a victory.”

Olivier Beretta:  “I’m happy for the whole team, for the crew, for Giuseppe and for Ferrari. I think it is always nice to finish the season on the podium. We won the last race before we came here so that’s nice. Today was very hard. The first stint was just trying to survive because I was on slicks on the wet. I tried to stretch as much so I don’t lose time on the pit stop. Then afterwards I push very hard. The pit stops were fantastic. I tried to do my best. I had an issue overtaking a GTC. I went too wide because I was scared he was going to touch me on the side because I didn’t know where he was. Unfortunately I went on the wet grass with the rear left tires and I lost the car.”

Robin Liddell:  “I’m pretty happy to get on the podium obviously. We had a strong race and a race that didn’t go perfectly. We had a few little problems and I think we were lucky to get back on the podium in the end. We needed that late race caution and Matteo had the pace to fight with the guys up front. He drove a great stint at the end and fought his way up and get into the third spot. It was a great race, everyone performed really well and I’m really happy to be on the podium.”

 The team was forced to retire from a one-lap lead due to an overheating problem on their Muscle Milk HPD ARX-03c. The last time the team had faced a race-ending issue was at Sebring in 2012.

 After starting from second place on what was a wet Road Atlanta track, the team picked up the lead early on in the 1000-mile/10-hour race.

 The Muscle Milk squad went on to exchange the top spot in the race with Rebellion Racing a couple of times before taking a two-lap lead following pit stops and a penalty to the European-based sportscar team.

 The early part of the race was one against Mother Nature as the team had to switch back and forth between Michelin rain and slick tires a few times, but the strategy was the right one as the team maintained their lead heading into the halfway mark.

 It was once they reached the midway point of the 1000-mile race, that Romain Dumas, who was now aboard the Muscle Milk HPD ARX-03c, was called into pit lane due to an overheating problem.

 The team was sadly forced to retire and call it a day.

 Despite the disappointing end to the season, Muscle Milk Pickett Racing had a wonderful final year in the American Le Mans Series with eight wins in a row and five pole positions which allowed them to clinch their second consecutive Championship earlier this year.

 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing will announce their 2014 plans in the coming weeks.

Muscle Milk Quotes:

Klaus Graf, driver #6 Muscle Milk Pickett Racing

“Tough end to a great season, not quite the finish we wanted at the Petit Le Mans but we had a very good lead and we did the right strategy, especially in difficult conditions and the Muscle Milk guys did an awesome job in the pits. It wasn’t an easy race and then we were forced to stop running due to our overheating problem but we showed our strength in speed and in difficult conditions. We won a lot of races with our Muscle Milk HPD car and we should not forget that. We won 14 races in two years with this car, that’s a lot out of 20 events. It’s the end of the ALMS but we look forward to the future. We have a strong team and we can’t wait until next year.”

Lucas Luhr – driver #6 Muscle Milk HPD ARX-03c

 ”It’s a very disappointing way to end the season, especially since last year at Virginia, we’ve finished every lap, and to have something happen like this at the end of the year and the last race of the ALMS, it’s sad. Not just for us, but for the Muscle Milk crew and everyone associated with the team. On the other hand you have to see the bright side, there are 10 races in the Championship and we won eight, and that is very outstanding for everybody involved with Muscle Milk Pickett Racing. Everyone can be really proud of what we have achieved these last few years and I think we need to end the season with that thought, not the thought that we didn’t finish the race.”

 Romain Dumas - driver #6 Muscle Milk HPD ARX-03c

“It’s not a great way to end the season. We knew it would be difficult before the start but we kept getting better and better as the race went by. We had the advantage in the rain and then even in the dry we were doing really well and pulling away until we had the overheating problem. We still had four hours to go so it’s very difficult to predict what could have happened but it was a good race, very close with Rebellion. Unfortunately, it’s a shame it had to end this way. It would have been better to fight until the end for the win. I want to thank Greg and Penny Pickett for allowing me to drive for them this year. They are a great team to drive for and I truly enjoyed the experience.”

This Saturday at Road Atlanta in the American Le Mans Series final event, Buckler will watch his Porsche race at the highest level of sports car racing for the last time.  Next year, Buckler will race Aston Martins in a deal signed this past year, which gives his organization exclusive control of the Aston Martin Racing program in North America.  He will continue to run Porsches in other amateur series and will stay involved with the Porsche Club of America where he cut his teeth.

“I must admit, there will probably be a tear in the corner of one eye,” said Buckler.  “We have been extremely fortunate to have raced and won with such a great marque as Porsche these last 20-plus years.  The support has been beyond terrific and the people along the way are people I will be friends with for the rest of my life.  But the opportunity that Aston Martin Racing presented to us was just too great to pass up for the future of our business and our company.”

Next season, TRG-Aston Martin Racing North America, LLC takes on a full slate within the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship series, Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, participation in the Pirelli World Challenge and the launch of a one-make series – the Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of North America.

In the TUDOR Championship, TRG-AMR plans to compete in the GT Daytona class with a pair of Aston Martin’s Vantage GT3 V12 monsters as well as supporting any other teams interested in running GT Daytona or GT Le Mans categories.   In the Continental Sports Car Challenge, the TUDOR Championship’s top support series, TRG-AMR expects to run several Vantage GT4’s. All this while also servicing multiple customer programs and wearing his TRG-AMR North America hat.

“This is certainly a massive program,” said Buckler, “which was the attraction from the first meeting with Aston Martin Racing.  While it was great running at the top with Porsche, being able to control the Aston Martin Racing program and have a say in the evolution and development of that program and the brand in North America is an absolutely exhilarating and an unbelievable opportunity that we had to jump in on.”

But Buckler admits to a bit of regret, particularly when his recall takes him back to the early days of 1992 when he and his then-partner (soon to become his bride), Debra, attended his first ever Porsche Club Race in Colorado or a few years later when they were running a start-up operation from their home in Monterey (CA) and shipping race parts from their garage.

“We were literally selling stuff just to create a little budget to go racing,” says Buckler.  “We were crisscrossing the country in our truck and trailer hitting any event we could— auto crosses, club events, swap meets…..Anything we could do to build and develop our parts and racing business.  I still have old friends come to me now and say -  ‘I wasn’t sure you kids were going to make it in the early days…We would see your truck and trailer set up at Sebring and just buy something to make sure you had gas money to get home!!’ -  We began manufacturing parts for our own Porsche and winning the races we were involved in and soon other guys were coming to us wanting to know if they could have the same parts and set-ups too.  So our first business which we still have today became The Racers Group and was later shortened to TRG.”

From those humble beginnings became an accomplished sports car program that has gone on to win championships and races at virtually every major road course and street race in North America.  And then there was the unbelievable win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2002.

“We went there as the little engine that could,” said Buckler.  “We didn’t have a very big crew and we were a customer team dwarfed by the Porsche, Audi, Ferrari, BMW, Peugeot, Corvette and so-on factory programs.  But we rolled up our sleeves, kept at it, didn’t let a bit of adversity distract us, and by the end of a very, very long month over seas, we were spraying champagne at the top of the podium in one of the closest finishes to this day.  I’ll never forget it.”

That season finished off with Buckler winning the prestigious Porsche World Cup for the Porsche factory as one of the few American drivers to ever receive the honor.

Another huge race Buckler won’t ever let slip from his memory is the 2003 Daytona 24.   Yes, Buckler has won four 24 Rolex Hours at Daytona championships as a driver or owner from the GT class but 2003 was different.  He won OVERALL as well!

“People tell me that will never happen again,” he says.  “I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it sure was a momentous achievement to be on top of the entire field including the prototypes after 24 hours.  We ran a perfect race that day.”

That success led to General Motors tapping Buckler to run its Pontiac factory GTO.R program in Grand-Am for 2005-2006.  And Buckler dominated with that program as well, reeling off a 23-race podium streak while continuing to race Porsche in GT class.  In 2006, TRG won the drivers, team and manufacturers’ title in GT class while placing the Pontiac GTO.R on the podium every race and winning eight times.

When it all first began, Buckler was driver and team owner.  His wife Debra was and is the company’s Chief Financial Officer.   Today, they run an operation that is housed in a state-of-the-art 20,000 square foot race shop that ….. also contains a private wine tasting room and is joined next door by their winery operations.

Buckler does nothing second class. He does not shy away from any challenges and has always aimed high.  And above all, he follows his passions – one of which is wine.  In 1999, he and his wife launched Adobe Road Winery. Today, Adobe Road is considered one of the boutique winery darlings of Northern California,winning accolade after accolade for its wines from the industry’s premier authorities including Wine Spectator Magazine.  They support a brisk winery business and an active tasting room right on the square in downtown Sonoma.

So, as the season winds down at Petit Le Mans this weekend, expect a few things from Buckler– a likely podium (he admits to wanting a victory as much as he ever has), a moist spot in the corner of one of his eyes, perhaps an empty little place in his heart, and a glass of his favorite Adobe Road raised in excellence to a Porsche career that has indeed been admirable by anyone’s standards.

Career highlights include:

4 Daytona 24-hour victories in GT– once overall
13 Daytona 24-hour podiums (a record)
62 Daytona 24 entries (a record)
24 hour of Le Mans GT victory –2002
Porsche World Cup recipient–2002
Petit Le Mans victory (2010)
2 team championships. 3 runner ups
1 driver’s championship
1 manufacturer’s championship
2009 Rolex 24 1-2 finish
2005 Watkins Glen 6 hour Daytona Prototype 1-2 finish
2005 Dual win at Phoenix in DP & GT on the same weekend
Longest podium streak ever 2005-6 with 23 podiums
7 GT 1-2 finishes
58 professional victories
165 podium finishes
Now…. Moving on to Aston Martin…..

Keen (Charleston, SC) had the wheel of the No. 23 Team West/AJR 458 GT for the 15-minute qualifying session this afternoon. The lanky Keen put in a time of 1:20.506 that will the team starting from the fifth row for tomorrow’s 11:30 a.m. start.

“So far this week I have been enjoying the last ALMS race,” Keen said. “The team has been working really hard all week. We tested here early in the year, but I think the green track from the all-day rain yesterday caught us out a little on the set-up. We know what changes we need to make, the team will do that and we will confirm them in the warm-up tomorrow. We didn’t have the best qualifying car, but we will be ready for the race. We are going to run our race tomorrow and work our strategy to get a good result at the checker.”

Sweedler likes the pace of the Ferrari in race trim.

“We had a good week of practice with the Ferrari 458 GT,” Sweedler said. “In practice we are very close on our lap times. Yokohama provides a great tire, but we don’t have specific qualifying rubber, so that hurts us in qualifying. Johnny is bringing a good perspective to the team and Leh also brings a lot of Ferrari laps having driven most of the Grand-Am season in one. Tomorrow I am looking forward to having a good race and seeing what we can do against the best GT competition in the world in the last ever ALMS Petit Le Mans.”

Mowlem (United Kingdom) is getting acquainted with the Yokohama tire.

“We had a very good week of practice,” Mowlem said. “I ran for the first time in the Ferrari on the Yokohama tires. They are very different than what I’ve driven on all year on in the European Le Mans Series. In the wet yesterday, we ended up P3 and put in some very good times in relation to the factory cars. This morning I did a little run and was able to run consistently in the 21s every lap. We will see what happens with the temperature and the weather tomorrow.”
 
Team co-owner Eduardo Espindola is looking forward to tomorrow’s race.

“We had a good week of practice in the 458 GT,” Espindola said. “Bill, Leh and Johnny have done a great job getting the Ferrari dialed into the track. We are looking forward to a great run in the race tomorrow.”

Alex Job, team co-owner, has the team ready for a strong run in the last ALMS Petit Le Mans.

“It will be the end of a sportscar era tomorrow,” Job said. “We have had a lot of success here, winning four times. This race has grown to become one of the big four in sportscar racing right up there with Daytona, Le Mans and Sebring. I am looking forward to a good race and will pull out of here Sunday morning with good thoughts of the past and a lot of hope for the future.”

The team has spent the week fine tuning the No. 22 WeatherTech Porsche for the final race of the season. MacNeil (Hinsdale, Ill.) and teammate Jeroen Bleekemolen (Monte Carlo) lead the GTC points standings by 13-points. The scenario for tomorrow’s 1,000-mile or 10-hour race, whichever comes first, is simple, finish fifth or better and they are GTC Class champions.

In qualifying Jereon Bleekemolen had the wheel of the WeatherTech Porsche. The Dutchman posted a time of 1:24.433 good for a front row starting position in second.

“I missed the peak of the tire, which was unfortunate, because I was in traffic in qualifying,” Bleekemolen said. “It was really unnecessary. There are only eight cars in the class and you shouldn’t have traffic in qualifying. We had the car to get the pole. I proved on the last lap when the tire had lost its peak that we were able to set a time good for second. I drove my heart out to get the pole, but didn’t get it. We just want to win the championship, but we want to win the race as well. The car is absolutely quick and strong. We will have a good car for the race tomorrow. We have a strong team with Cooper and my brother, so we are looking good for the race.”

MacNeil didn’t have the luxury of a lot laps this week.

“I did about 35-minutes in the car this morning,” MacNeil said. “I was getting reacquainted with the track and getting faster every lap. It is tough when everyone has been here the whole week running laps. I was at school and couldn’t come out earlier. I felt comfortable in the car. Jeroen, Sebastian and the team did a great job setting up the car. I will get some more time tomorrow morning in the warm-up. Jeroen did a great job in qualifying. We are starting second and we know what we have to do in the race to win the championship – which is the goal.”
 
Sebastian Bleekemonlen (Netherlands) will have to wait his turn tomorrow.

“I did a lot of laps this week,” Sebastian Bleekemolen said. “I was able to get really comfortable in the car. We drove in almost every kind of condition, the rain, darkness and in the dry. My pace is good. We have to get Cooper and Jeroen in for two-and-and-hours early to get the drivers points. I am anticipating getting in during the middle of the race. It is great to be out here again. I’ve won the race once and I hope to do it again tomorrow.”

Alex Job, team owner, has the team poised for a good run tomorrow.

“We’ve had a good week of running,” Job said. “Jereon and Sebastian have done a lot of laps and Cooper came in and started right where he left off last year. All three are comfortable with the car and know what is at stake tomorrow. We really hold our fate in our hands and will race that way for 10-hours.”

This final race has added meaning for the DeltaWing team, since Managing Partner Dr. Don Panoz founded both the race and the series – and with the team headquarters situated just up the road from Road Atlanta, there are plenty of family, friends and fans here to cheer them on. The DeltaWing coupe ran near the top of the charts in yesterday’s cool and wet conditions and with rain a possibility for Saturday’s 10 hour/1,000 mile endurance classic, the focus today was on putting the car safely in the field. Andy Meyrick delivered a steady qualifying performance, keeping the car out of trouble and setting the team up for the long day tomorrow.

“It would be fantastic to have a good finish in the last race of the season in front of our home fans,’ said Meyrick, “especially since this is the last ALMS race. Don founded the ALMS so I’m sure he’d love to see us have a strong result here.”
 
Meyrick and Katherine Legge will share driving duties in the DeltaWing coupe for the 1,000-mile/10 hour event. Petit Le Mans, final race of the American Le Mans Series, begins at 11:30am EDT. The race will be broadcast in live segments on Fox Sports 1 and 2 (see local listings).

Seth Neiman qualified 8th in class and will start the race in the sister PR Newswire / eSilicon No 44, sharing the car with Dion von Moltke and Brett Sandberg.

Flying Lizard currently sits in 1st in the GTC team championship with Spencer and Nelson in 3rd in the GTC driver championship, with everything to be decided in tomorrow’s 10-hour or 1000-mile race.

Tomorrow’s race has particular historical importance as it is the last race in the history of the American Le Mans Series in its current form and the last for the GTC class.

Quotes from the team:

Spencer Pumpelly, Driver, No 45:
“Taking the pole in the last ever GTC qualifying session was a great feeling. I have always loved the qualifying sessions we run in this class because the competition is so close and we are all pushing so hard and really hanging onto the car. This result puts us in good position for tomorrow’s race and I think that Nelson and Madison will both show impressive pace. Thanks to everyone at Flying Lizard for all their hard work putting together such a great car.”

.

REBELLION Racing’s Lola-Toyota #12 will start tomorrow’s race from the first position on the grid.
This second Pole position at Petit Le Mans is the fourth that the Swiss team has achieved in the American Le Mans Series.

The race will be a close one with strong competition from the Muscle Milk squad who are the ALMS champions. They will be formidable opponents to REBELLION Racing’s Lola-Toyota #12 in tomorrow’s 10 hour race like in the earlier races this year at Sebring, Long Beach and Laguna Seca.

Neel Jani : “We’ve had a good car all week long and today’s result in qualifying proved that we were right in our set up choices. To be the fastest in qualifying is good for the team and provides confidence. We have to translate this result into a race win tomorrow as the race is always a different game, especially here in America with the safety car strategy and the traffic. It’s my last race with REBELLION Racing and it would be nice to end our relationship with a win.”

Bart Hayden, REBELLION Racing Team Manager : “Congratulations to Neel for driving the pole winning lap so well and thanks to the engineers and mechanics for working so hard to get the set up and preparation right with the car. The 16th Petit Le Mans will be the last of the American Le Mans Series era and the last with the LM P1 cars. It is always a real pleasure to be racing in the USA, the competition is strong, and the ambience in the paddock is very friendly. We are confident with our ability to be competitive in tomorrow’s race and we have experience from last year’s overall win. Racing here at Petit Le Mans is a massive challenge for the team. Half the team and equipment are in Japan for the FIA WEC 6th round. Their race will start just about an hour after the chequered flag will be displayed here ! But we are focused on our race here, we are determined to race to repeat last year’s overall win.”

The start of the 16th Petit Le Mans race will be at 11h30 (15h30 GMT), Saturday 19 October.

Coming off its first victory of the 2013 ALMS season at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) two weekends ago, Italian Matteo Malucelli handily put the Ferrari 458 Italia on the GT class pole at the 2.54-mile Road Atlanta circuit with a time of 1.18.86. It was Malucelli’s second pole this season, the first having been at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in May.

The Risi team felt it was primed with a good car for one of the team’s favourite tracks on the ALMS calendar and, after using diligence in preparing a set-up, it was confident it could play well in both qualifying and the race. By Friday morning the confidence level was high, as long as everything went as planned. Proper planning and preparation was therefore key when Malucelli clinched the pole on the second of his three flying laps in the 15-minute qualifying session, beating the two SRT Vipers.

Risi Competizione’s history at Petit Le Mans dates back to the inaugural race in 1998. Drivers Eric van de Poele, Wayne Taylor and Emmanuel Collard completed the 1,000 mile race in 8 hours 46.24 minutes. North America’s most successful Ferrari GT team also collected victories in 2008 and 2009 in Ferrari 430 GT entries.

Matteo Malucelli: “We did our best and stopped before the finish of the session because I had done the maximum, hoping it would be enough. I did four laps and then we waited for the other drivers to make their best and hoped my laps were enough. At the end we are on pole so it’s a good place to start the race. The race will be nine hours but we start from the front so it will be good.
 
“We are hoping for dry conditions because our car is very good in the dry. We have a little bit of a problem in the rain but the forecast seems good so we are confident for the race.”

Giuseppe Risi:  “I’m very happy to see us on the pole again with Matteo.  We’ve been on pace all weekend and we’re very happy about the weather today.  We have a good car and we’d like to try and follow up from our last performance at VIR, but most of all because this race has a special significance in that it is the last ALMS one as we know it.  It’s special to be on the pole and obviously it would be even more special for us to do well.

“I’ve always felt, and said, that the pinnacle of representative GT racing in the world is here in the ALMS.  You can see that from the works teams that are here, and the fact that Porsche is going to have a full works team in North America next year and there is also talk of a couple of other manufacturers.  Other than the 24 Hours of Le Mans, I think this is probably the best represented GT race or series in the world and one of the championship’s flagships in the United States along with Sebring.  And next year we will also have the Daytona 24 Hours – making it even better.”

Rick Mayer: “We did a little practice qualifying this morning and we had a couple changes for qualifying this afternoon.  We normally try to get it done early and save our tires for the race.  Matteo did a good job; he did two quick laps and both of those would have been pole.  He’s pretty happy with the car and we’ll see how we do in the race and hopefully we’ll have a good warm up.”

After setting the pace all week in testing and practice, the Scott Tucker-owned organization headed into qualifying with high hopes of clinching its 10th pole of the season. While Ryan Briscoe took the No. 551 Siemens/Alpina Watches/Ohiya Casino Resort-sponsored Honda Performance Development ARX-03b prototype to a quick lap of 1:12.490, which provisionally stood for the pole position, his best time was later taken away by series officials because the car brought out a red flag.

As a result, Briscoe, team principal Tucker and Marino Franchitti will start from second on the grid in the No. 551 car, ahead of Level 5’ No. 552 HPD of Jonny Kane, Peter Dumbreck and Guy Cosmo, who set a 1:13.637 lap time in qualifying.

With their fourth consecutive team’s championship already locked up, the focus heading into the 1,000-mile/10-hour endurance race will be on the driver’s championship. Tucker holds a 6-point lead over Extreme Speed Motorsports’ Scott Sharp, meaning a win or second place finish for the No. 551 car would be enough for Tucker to claim his milestone 10th national driving title.

Tucker has already gotten off to a strong start this week, having won Thursday’s Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda Series race in challenging wet conditions, while also showing his pace at the wheel of the Michelin-shod ALMS P2 car in testing and practice sessions. He and Briscoe are rejoined by Franchitti, the same lineup that won the 12 Hours of Sebring in March.

“The car has been great all week,” said Franchitti. “We’re real happy with the balance. Qualifying was a bit disjointed with the red flags and everything. But we think we have a good race car. It’s good in traffic and seems to work its tires well. Conditions here always change. It’s a very hard race with the different classes and the speed differential. We’ll go after it tomorrow and lock out the championship. That’s obviously the number one goal for the team.”

Cosmo added: “We’re mostly focused on our race strategy and the tires we want to start the race on. I wish I could have done a little bit better but that’s what we had right now. It’s been great working with Jonny and Peter for the first time in the No. 552 car. Those guys have been stellar. They’re extremely experienced and really bring a lot to the program. I think everybody’s just chasing the right strategy. It’s a long race and we need to make sure everybody’s using the right tires at the right time because of the varying temperatures. Overall, the Michelins are great and the Level 5 car is fantastic. I’m ready to go race!”